JULIA FRANKEL (Associated Press)
JERUSALEM (AP) — Many Christians took part in a traditional Good Friday march in Jerusalem's Old City, marking one of the religion's most important days. There were fewer people in attendance due to the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
The usual international crowds were replaced by mainly local observers, including Palestinian Christians, as well as some foreigners and a few determined tourists.
The customary Good Friday march follows the Way of the Cross, or Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus is believed to have walked to his crucifixion. Israeli police placed barriers along the route, redirecting shoppers in the Old City's busy Muslim quarter to accommodate the hundreds of pilgrims.
A group of young Palestinian Arab scouts led the march, followed by hundreds of Palestinian Christians. Behind them, a small procession of the Franciscan religious order, mainly made up of foreign residents in Jerusalem, took place.
Munira Kamar, a Palestinian Christian from the Old City, expressed her disappointment about the situation with the ongoing war while watching the parade. She mentioned that they eagerly anticipate this event every year.
The ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, following Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks and hostage-taking in Israel. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, and the European Union.
The final stations of the march are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where it is believed that Jesus was crucified and laid to rest before his resurrection on Easter. The impact of the war was evident as there were significantly fewer people waiting in line at the church courtyard, making entry much easier.
This year, there was a noticeable absence of Palestinian Christians from the West Bank on the city's streets, as they usually gather in Jerusalem for Easter events. Since Oct. 7, Palestinian worshippers have required special permission to cross checkpoints into Jerusalem.
Despite the smaller crowds, shopkeepers, who typically close their heavy metal doors on Fridays, opened them for tourists interested in Catholic souvenirs. However, there were few shoppers.
Fayaz Dakkak, a Palestinian shop owner, discussed the low turnout of people this Easter compared to previous years, highlighting the somber atmosphere and the impact of the situation in Gaza on people's happiness.
According to the U.S. State Department's international religious freedom report for 2022, around 50,000 Christian Palestinians reside in the West Bank and Jerusalem, while there are approximately 1,300 Christians living in Gaza. Some Christians also hold Israeli citizenship, and many Palestinian Christians live in communities outside their homeland.
A few tourists took the chance. Carmen Ros, a lawyer living in Jerusalem, had gathered a group of pilgrims from Spain to visit the country for a religious tour. The group relaxed in the shade outside the church.
“They were scared at first,” she said, “but I reassured them that here in Jerusalem, it’s safe, we don’t have violence. We are close to Gaza, but the Christian people are not the target of terrorism.”
The celebrations happened on the third Friday in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with worshippers once again gathering at the revered Al-Aqsa mosque for prayer. Despite fears that the ongoing war would cause clashes at the revered Al-Aqsa mosque, the month has so far been peaceful under tight Israeli security.
Sister Harriet Kabaije, a pilgrim from Uganda who moved to Jerusalem three weeks ago to live in a monastery, said she was holding the people of Gaza in her prayers. She said she believed that peace could be achieved in the region.
“Many people think that the war here is natural,” she said. “But when Jesus was in Bethlehem, it was peaceful. We know that people are suffering in Gaza so we carry them in our prayers and pray that peace can return to this land,” she said.
